Balancing on the Third Wheel
by Scifiroots
Summary: The problem with the troublesome trio was simple enough mix two young adult males and a female, a healthy distance from the rest of the world, selfesteem issues, and egos, add a large dose of hormones and sexual tension and, well, it really wasn’t too dif


Balancing on the Third Wheel

**By**: Clarity Scifiroots  
**Standard disclaimers apply.  
Notes**: For kneazles's request dealing with "three." This bit of silliness unraveled itself since Iceman, Pyro, and Rogue where the first trio that came to mind.  
**Pairings** (yes, as in two) include Wolverine/Rogue (of course! But it's actually not the main one) and Iceman/Pyro ("opposites attract" ;;).  
**Summary**: The problem with the troublesome trio was simple enough; mix two young adult males and a female, a healthy distance from the rest of the world, self-esteem issues, and egos, add a large dose of hormones and sexual tension and, well, it really wasn't too difficult to understand the powder keg everyone nervously sat on.  
_Edited October 3, 2005_

Terrible twos? The dynamic duo? Two peas in a pod? Two lumps on a log? Forget that, a twosome they could have handled. No, what they faced was a far worse threat—the terrible _three_, the troublesome trio—a _third wheel_. What diabolical fate awaited the residents of the mansion, no one knew.

The problem with the troublesome trio was simple enough: mix two young adult males and a female, a healthy distance from the rest of the world, self-esteem issues, and egos, add a large dose of hormones and sexual tension and, well, it really wasn't too difficult to understand the powder keg everyone nervously sat on.

Interestingly, each member of the trio wound up playing the "third wheel" at some point. Some days it really did seem like St. John and Rogue were the best of pals and could be those "two peas in a pod," but that meant that Bobby would be stomping through the halls, leaving a thin layer of frost over everything he passed. Then there were the weeks where apparently paradise reigned in the realm of a pair of lovebirds (Bobby and Rogue, of course); this meant St. John was prone to be quite careless with that lighter of his and after the first explosion in his lab, Hank turned the young man right around if he showed for class in _that_ mood. And then there were the truly bizarre times. Many at the school were convinced the time was approaching when Bobby and St. John would duke it out over who would "get" Rogue—not that she ever approved of such a thing; however, the problem with this thinking was that it didn't take into account the numerous times where Bobby and St. John seemed closer than even that legendary dynamic duo of Batman and Robin. There was something a little... _queer_ about the whole thing. (Although people knew better than to whisper about it too loudly, there were too many ways that a school full of mutants could pass along gossip inadvertently to the wrong person.) Rogue's reaction varied between highly irritable, insulted that she'd been dumped to the side, and sulky—as the case may be (typically around "that time of the month").

The sun shone merrily in a clear sky on a day in between Third Wheel Situation #1 (St. John and Rogue) and Third Wheel Situation #3 (that quasi-gay Bobby and St. John best buds, deal). Although very few people realized it, there was something different about this transitional phase... something almost _peaceful_.

Jean was in Ororo's classroom, helping to dry off the desks and chairs that were left damp in the wake of Bobby's frost. "The suspense is killing me! I almost wish the guys would just deck each other already," Ororo admitted as she regretfully erased the marker board where her neat notes had smeared beyond comprehension.

Jean's eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. "I wonder who'd throw the first punch?" she mused. "I wouldn't normally suspect Bobby but if he's in one of his moods..." She rolled her eyes as she indicated the room. "Then again, maybe we shouldn't underestimate Rogue."

Ororo looked up at that. "What do you mean?"

"I would have thought she'd have snapped a lot earlier, but as it is, haven't you noticed Rogue's temper making a more common appearance in the past few months? God, they could try the patience of a saint."

Ororo laughed at that and went back to work.

Elsewhere on campus, Rogue had taken to hiding behind the hedges that sectioned off part of the garden. In her spot she was well-concealed yet close enough to clearly hear the conversation going on between the two people on the other side of the hedge.

She silently cheering them on. _You tell 'im, John!_ She grinned happily as Bobby initiated physical contact. Rogue bit her fist to keep from laughing in delight.

"How's it going, darlin'?"

Rogue bit back a squeak of surprise at feeling and hearing another person's presence practically on top of her. She turned wild eyes on Logan and hissed quietly, "Shhh!" He smirked at her and scooted over a few inches before peering through the hedges. A moment later he turned back to her and wiggled his eyebrows comically. She valiantly fought back laughter once again.

Logan was the only one outside the trio who knew what was changing that momentous day. There was an abrupt end to the agitated voice speaking on the other side; Rogue and Logan exchanged a glance and stuck their heads back into the hedges to take a look.

Rogue couldn't hold back a triumphant exclamation. "Yes!" Logan gave a loud wolf whistle that broke the last of Rogue's composure and she started giggling madly.

Startled by the loud interruption, Bobby and St. John sprang apart with wide eyes, looking like deer caught in the headlights of their oncoming doom.

"Rogue!" St. John said in frustration. "What happened to staying quiet?" Bobby looked over at him sharply at that.

"Oh, p-please, Bobby," Rogue struggled to speak around her laughter. "I-it's all perfectly legit!"

St. John turned his back at the two interlopers and fixed a sincere gaze on his friend. "She was sticking around for moral support... y'know, if something didn't work." He looked pleadingly into Bobby's eyes, which were still full of shock. "Rogue and I have been talking about it for a while—"

"I've been pounding some sense into you!" Rogue said as she finally gained her feet with Logan's help.

Both Bobby and St. John visibly gulped at seeing that Wolverine had been their other watcher.

Bobby shifted his gaze back to St. John and seemed to make a decision. "Uh, you want to take this somewhere else?"

Rogue resisted the urge to cheer again in case it frightened them again. She was simply giddy with how things were going. (Far too many times the plans she was involved with fell through.) Suddenly St. John had his arms wrapped around her in a tight hug. He pulled away just as quickly and tossed over his shoulder,

"Thanks, Rogue! And," he glanced quickly at Logan with a smirk, "good luck!"

As the troublesome trio disbanded and the new dynamic duo departed, Rogue could almost feel Logan's amusement as he stood next to her. Smiling to herself and telling her heart to calm down, everything was working out fine, she partially turned so she could see Logan from the corner of her eye.

"Well, those two struck out—guess third time's the charm?" she directed the comment and her smile at him. "You comin', sugah?"

Logan smirked at her in response. Rogue, still grinning, turned toward the mansion; Logan took the prime opportunity to slap her butt teasingly.

"Hey!"

As their laughter echoed over the grounds, the residents of Xavier's School for the Gifted breathed a sigh of relief.

** Fin **


End file.
